COVID-19’s Negative Impact on the Environment

Post date: April 27, 2021 2:40 pm

By Lizzi Swan

When adopting a new animal, it is important to find the right place to get your new best friend. There are so many animals out there who have been abused or abandoned and need a new home. Shelter animals have a difficult life, and although they may not look as cute as a new puppy, they deserve to be loved and cared for just as much. There are multiple benefits of adopting -- such as saving lives, putting an end to puppy mills, and financial gain.

When going into a large store like PetSmart, you'll notice that everything is neat and clean, the animals are well fed, and generally have a relaxing life. If you are walking into a shelter, however, you will see animals who are lined up in cages and who need a better life. Shelters are often noisy, this is confusing and stressful for animals who are just looking for a little peace and quiet. Many people spend thousands of dollars to get their pet from an animal breeder, when there are so many animals living a hard and overwhelming life and just want a loving companion.

According to Helping Hands Humane Society, each year 8 to 12 million dogs, cats, puppies and kittens are euthanized because there are simply not enough homes for them. The appeal of getting a newly born puppy is an attractive idea, and many people overlook the small dog cowering in the corner of a shelter, surrounded by the chaos of being crammed in with 15 other dogs. Why not save the older cat who has been abandoned on the street by its owner, and let it live out the rest of its life in a comfortable home rather than a small room with a bunch of other cats it may not get along with? So many people go out and get brand new animals without even realizing how many are already out there and deserve to be cared for. Adopting a pet from a shelter is not only beneficial to that one animal and its new companion, but makes room for another distressed animal to move into the shelter.

Buying from a shelter also helps to put breeders and puppy mills out of business. The poor animals are packed in tightly, often in small, dirty enclosures. They have restricted access to food, water, and veterinary care. Many puppies develop serious health problems at an early age due to the unsanitary living conditions. Some are even killed if they are no longer profitable. Belle, who is the rabbit that we are fostering (and in the process of adopting!), from St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center in Madison, NJ, was part of a litter of 18 bunnies who were rescued. An amateur rabbit breeder decided he wanted to make money selling bunnies, but bred them to be born during the winter. The young bunnies were kept outside in small hutches, and every single one of them suffered from some degree of frostbite. Once he realized he could no longer sell them, he dropped them off at the home of a woman who rescues cats. Since she was not in any position to care for baby bunnies, she contacted St. Hubert’s.

Not all animals will be so lucky as to be saved and given a good life. Each year, about 2 million dogs are euthanized illegally by drowning, shooting, or gassing. This number does not include the number of dogs killed because they are no longer “breedable”. These animals have no say in what happens, and the breeders are usually willing to sell to almost anyone who will pay. A shelter, however, has a thorough screening process for adopters to make sure the animals are going to a good home. St. Hubert’s also requests that adopters agree to return their pets if they can no longer care for them. Adopting from a local shelter helps put breeders and puppy mills out of business and give the sheltered animals a chance at a happy, healthy life.

If saving an animal from a heartbreaking situation is not appealing enough, there are also financial benefits to be gained. Adopting from a shelter is generally cheaper than adopting or buying from a store for several reasons. The cost of spaying/neutering, first vaccinations, and possibly microchipping are often included in the adoption fee. The money you are spending there directly helps to improve living conditions and pay for luxuries such as soft beds, new food/water bowls, cat towers, and dog toys that help to make the animals’ stay a bit more comfortable. Shelters like the one in Manahawkin simply don't have the same money and capacity that large businesses do.

When adopting an animal from a shelter, you are changing the lives of both you and your furry companion forever. They will be eternally grateful to you for saving them, and will likely be loyal until the end.